Cue ball table game

ABSTRACT

A table game comprising a flat surfaced table, a free standing upsettable penalty tower, seven holes spaced away from sides of the flat surface, seven cue balls, one of which is a premium ball, and an individual cue ball return channel, sound deadening pad, ball drop slot, and scoring box, each corresponding to a given hole. 
     Each player, in turn, places a striker ball in a specific spot on the table surface, a striker ball position marker, and stands at the front of the table, then shoots the striker ball at a target ball. Shooting from the front of the table enables the placement of the table alongside a wall, or even in a corner. This saves considerable space as compared to existing cue ball game tables.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a cue ball table game.

2. Background Information

Flat surfaced cue ball table games wherein players shoot balls at other balls with a cue stick, intending to sink balls into holes in the table, require sufficient space around the table so as to enable the players to efficiently wield cue sticks for aimed shots at the balls.

This restricts usage as space is always a limiting factor. Typically a room must have a length as long as the table plus 2 times the largest cue to be used plus some additional length for working the cue. Thus, an 8×4 foot pool table might require a room 14×12 feet, minimum, to accommodate a table and with the prior art, the table would sit in the middle of the room making any other use of the room impractical. With the prior art, a large room becomes devoted entirely to the pool table.

As will be seen in the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention overcomes shortcomings of prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention in the preferred embodiment is a table game comprising a table with a flat surface, a free standing upsettable penalty tower, seven holes spaced away from sides of the flat surface, seven cue balls, one of which is a premium ball, and an individual cue ball return channel for each of the seven holes, sound deadening pads, a ball drop slot, and respective scoring boxes, each corresponding to a given hole.

Each player, in turn, places a striker ball in a specific spot on the table surface and stands at the front of the table, then shoots their striker ball at a target ball. Shooting from the front of the table enables the placement of the table alongside a wall, or even in a corner. This saves considerable space as compared to existing cue ball game tables.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 7 illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a cue ball game table.

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are exploded views illustrating details of the cue ball game table.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 7, the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a cue ball table game comprises a table 1, a front 2 from which all que stick 14 shots are taken, a flat playing surface 3, a front bumper 4, a left bumper 5, a rear bumper 6, a right bumper 7, seven holes 8 in the flat playing surface 3, a penalty tower 9, a striker ball position marker 10, striker ball 12, initial target ball 13, balls 19, scoring boxes 11, rails 15, return troughs 16, sound deadening pads 17, and a ball drop slot 18

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are seven holes 8, a different color ball 25, which is a premium ball, of a different color, gold, as distinguished from the other six balls 19, which are red. The initial target ball 13 is one of the six balls 19, It is shown as target ball 13 in FIG. 3 to assist in describing how the game is played.

The game can be played by individuals or teams of individuals.

To start the game, a player first will need to put the penalty tower standing upright on the flat play surface, a first player spots the striker ball 12 on the striker ball position marker 10 on the flat surface 3 of the table 1 and a target ball 13 (which is any of the six balls 19), ahead of and to the left of the striker ball 12. At the start of the striker ball 12, when shot with the cue stick 14, from the front 2 must both hit the target ball 13 and then touch the right bank 7 while the target ball 13 touches the left bank 5. If either, or both, of the balls 12 and 13 fall in one of the holes 8, points are accrued by the player. The striker ball 13 has a double point value when sunk in one of the holes 8. If the penalty tower, which is free standing and upsettable, is tipped over, the player loses any points from this round as well as his turn. If neither the striker ball 12 or the target ball 13 is sunk, and the penalty tower has not been tipped over, the next player has his turn. If one or both striker ball 12 and target ball 13 fail to hit a bank 5, 7 then the first player would also lose his turn even if one or both balls went into a hole.

The next player spots one of the balls 19, serving as the striker ball 12, on the striker ball position marker 10, then shoots from the front 2 of the table 1, at any of the balls on the table 1 flat surface 3, attempting to sink the targeted ball, which can be either ball. i.e. the original striker ball 12 or the targeted ball 13 from the previous first player. For any of the players, for the original striker ball 12 or a ball 19 serving as a subsequent striker ball 12 to count for scoring purposes when sunk in a hole 8, said ball 12 or said ball 19 serving as a striker ball 12, must first hit another ball.

Any ball, whether a striker ball 12, a target ball 13, or one of the balls 19, which are red in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, when sunk in a given hole 8, will roll down the corresponding return trough 16, which are on an incline, across the corresponding sound deadening pad 17, fall through the ball drop slot 18 into a corresponding scoring box 11. Thus (referring to FIG. 4), for example, hole 8 c has a separate return trough 16 c so, when a ball falls through the hole 8 c, it will stay in the same channel 16 c and will drop into a slot 18 c that has a score associated with it for the hole 8 c.

If the original striker ball 12, which is gold colored in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, is sunk in a hole 8, it counts as a double the normal score for that hole.

Each hole 8 a, 8 b, and 8 c can have points associated with it. For example, the back row of holes 8 a can be worth 30 points, the front row 8 b can be worth 50 points, and the front hole 8 c 100 points for example.

If the penalty tower 9 is upset, the offending player loses his turn, any points earned during his turn, but not previously accrued points; any balls 12, 13, or 19 on said surface 3 are removed; and the next player starts out as the first player did, with a striker ball 12 on said position marker 10 and a target ball 13 forward and to the left of the striker ball 12. FIG. 6 shows that the tower 9 can be tall and include an increased diameter base 9 c that can be sized to control the sensitivity of the tower 9 to be upset, i.e. the larger the base, the more stable the tower 9. The tower 9 can be of any shape that can be upset by a ball 12, 13 such as any cylindrical shape. The base 9 c can have an enlarged cross sectional area.

The different color ball 25 is the original striker ball 12 and is also always in play. If the different colored ball 25 goes into a hole 8, the points are counted and the different colored ball 25 is immediately put back into play as the next striker ball 12, even if some other balls 19 are available.

FIG. 2 shows that the table 1 can be pushed tight against a corner C formed between two walls of a room. Because the balls 12, 13 always return to the front score box 11, because all shots are made from a single point 10 on the table and because the holes 8 all lie toward the back rail 6 of the table 1. This combination provides a unique space saving pool table game. Compared to the 12×16 room required for the prior art, a 4×8 table of the present invention would only required a room 8×12 and since the table is put in the corner C, it allows the room to be used for other things.

Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims in the formal application and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given. 

1. A cue ball table game comprising: a) a cue stick; b) balls; and c) a table comprising: a flat surface, a free standing upsettable penalty tower, a front, a striker ball position marker, a front bumper, a left side bumper, a right side bumper, a rear bumper, holes spaced away from the bumpers, rails, return troughs, each of which correspond to a specific hole, a ball drop slot, and a respective scoring box corresponding to a given hole; wherein a first ball, designated as a striker ball, is placed on the striker ball position marker; wherein a second ball, designated as a target ball is placed ahead of, and to the left of, the striker ball; wherein a player uses the cue stick to shoot, from the front, the first ball at the second ball; and wherein a ball that is sunk into one of the holes rolls down the corresponding return trough, through the ball drop slot, and into the respective scoring box corresponding to a given hole.
 2. The cue ball table game of claim 1 wherein the table further comprises sound deadening pads between the return troughs and the ball drop slot.
 3. The cue ball table game of claim 1 wherein the free standing upsettable penalty tower includes a base upon which it stands on the flat surface, and wherein said tower can be upset when a said ball comes in contact with it.
 4. The cue ball table game of claim 1 wherein said first ball is of a different color than said second ball, wherein the first ball is always the first striker ball at the start of a game, but wherein either ball can act as a striker ball during the course of play.
 5. The cue ball table game of claim 1 wherein said tower has a cylindrical shape and wherein the base has a larger area than the rest of the tower.
 6. A cue ball table game comprising: a flat surface, a free standing upsettable penalty tower, a front, a striker ball position marker, a front bumper, a side bumper, holes spaced away from the bumpers, return troughs, each of which correspond to a specific hole, a ball drop slot, and a respective scoring box corresponding to a given hole, wherein a first ball, designated as a striker ball, is placed on the striker ball position marker; wherein a second ball, designated as a target ball, is placed ahead of, and to the left of, the striker ball; wherein a player uses the cue stick to shoot, from the front, the first ball at the second ball; and wherein a ball that is sunk into one of the holes, rolls down the corresponding return trough, through the ball drop slot, and into the respective scoring box corresponding to a given hole.
 7. The cue ball table game of claim 6 wherein the table further comprises sound deadening material between the return troughs and the scoring boxes.
 8. The cue ball table game of claim 7 wherein the free standing upsettable tower includes a base upon which it stands on the flat surface, and wherein said tower can be upset when a said ball comes in contact with it.
 9. The cue ball table game of claim 8 wherein said first ball is of a different color than said second ball, wherein the first ball is always the first striker ball at the start of a game, but wherein either first or second ball can act as a striker ball during the course of play.
 10. The cue ball table game of claim 9 wherein said tower has a cylindrical shape and wherein the base has a larger area than the rest of the tower.
 11. A cue ball table game comprising: a) a cue stick; b) balls; and c) a table comprising; a flat surface, a cylindrical penalty tower, a striker ball position marker, a front bumper a side bumper a rear bumper a first hole spaced away from the bumpers, a return trough which corresponds to the hole, a ball drop slot, and a respective scoring box corresponding to the hole; wherein a first ball, designated as a striker ball, is placed on the striker ball position marker; wherein a second ball, designated as a target ball is placed ahead of, and to the left of, the striker ball; wherein a player uses the cue stick to shoot, from the front, the first ball at the second ball; and wherein a ball that is sunk into the hole, rolls down the corresponding return trough, and into the scoring box corresponding to the given hole.
 12. The cue ball table game of claim 11 wherein the table further comprises sound deadening material between the return trough and the scoring box.
 13. The cue ball table game of claim 11 wherein the tower includes a base upon which it stands on the flat surface, and wherein said tower can be upset when a said ball comes in contact with it.
 14. The cue ball table game of claim 13 wherein said first ball is of a different color than said second ball, wherein the first ball is always the first striker ball at the start of a game, and wherein either first or second ball can act as a striker ball during the course of play.
 15. The cue ball table game of claim 14 wherein said tower has a cylindrical shape and wherein the base has a larger area than the rest of the tower.
 16. The cue ball table game of claim 15 wherein said surface includes said first hole and six additional balls.
 17. A method of playing a cue ball game comprising the steps of: a) placing a penalty tower on a flat play surface of a table; b) placing a striker ball of a first color on a flat table surface on a marker near the front of said table; c) placing a second ball ahead and to one side of the striker ball; d) striking the striker ball with a pool cue such that said striker ball hits said second ball and then a first bank of said table and said second ball hits a second bank opposite said first bank; and e) scoring by having either ball fall through a hole in said flat play surface.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein said step of scoring includes said ball following a separate trough after falling through said hole, to return to said front of said table to a scoring box corresponding to said hole and assigning a score to a player based on a position of said hole on said surface. 